Pan-Pan

About

"Pan-Pan" is a single-player, fantasy adventure game with stellar graphics and a spectacular soundtrack. You must fix your downed spaceship and begin the pilgrimage home by solving puzzles and exploring an open world filled with memorable characters and world-shifting riddles. The game features a soothing ambient soundtrack by renowned composer, Simon Viklund.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 191 reviews

graphics40 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features charming graphics and a delightful art style reminiscent of Monument Valley, creating an engaging visual experience.
Puzzles are generally enjoyable and provide a good range of challenge, with many being solvable through observation and lateral thinking.
The game is a relaxing experience with soothing music and sound design, making it a great choice for casual play.

The game is very short, typically taking only 1.5 to 3 hours to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
Puzzle difficulty is inconsistent, with some being overly obscure or illogical, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs.
Lack of tutorials or guidance can leave players confused about mechanics, such as how to drop items or the correct sequence for solving puzzles.

graphics
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, reminiscent of "Monument Valley," with bright colors and a minimalist aesthetic that enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the delightful visuals and soothing music, which contribute to a relaxing puzzle experience, despite some minor glitches. Overall, the game's artistic design and character animations are highlighted as standout features that elevate the gameplay.
- “A wonderful and relaxing puzzle experience wrapped in an excellent aesthetic.”
- “Overall, I loved the graphics and the music is soothing to the ears.”
- “The moment you start a new game you are welcomed with delightful visuals, calming music, and a screen free of any HUDs, text, or unnecessary cut scenes.”
- “While the music and sound effects are fantastic, the story is told through charming visuals instead of dialogue.”
- “It's short and sweet, with cute (if simple) graphics and a decent little soundtrack, and most importantly (to me) for a puzzle game, it is largely solvable without a walkthrough.”
- “Lots to love - the graphics, characters, humour and yes, even a few of the puzzles - but getting anywhere at the start took forever.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the cute art style and enhancing the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the use of adaptive soundtracks as a standout feature, with some noting similarities to the music from "Monument Valley." However, there are mentions of a sound bug that disrupts the experience, though the overall sentiment remains positive regarding the soundtrack's charm and effectiveness in creating a tranquil atmosphere.
- “Adaptive soundtracks might be my favorite thing in games, and Pan-Pan shows one of the best examples of adaptive music I've seen.”
- “Lovely music creates a tranquil atmosphere when you're exploring.”
- “Overall, I loved the graphics and the music is soothing to the ears.”
- “There is a sound bug that makes the music have incessant 'clicking' noises.”
- “Even the weeping soundtrack is an extended middle finger to the buyer: the whole game has 215 MB on your disk.”
- “The original soundtrack has some catchy tunes for some moments, but it's mostly ambient music, adding to that a neat sound design for the noise.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The story in the game is often described as unclear and lacking depth, relying heavily on environmental storytelling that requires players to fill in significant gaps themselves. While the visuals and sound design are praised, the narrative is minimal, with a simple premise of a spaceship crash and the quest to find parts, leading to a sense of disconnection between gameplay and story. Overall, many players feel that the storytelling could benefit from more structure and clarity.
- “While the music and sound effects are fantastic, the story is told through charming visuals instead of dialogue.”
- “Instead, it delivers its short story through the characters’ interactions and endearing sounds.”
- “The 'story' is so unclear I was mostly guessing, and the environmental storytelling felt more like someone relying on the fact that there is an environment that could maybe tell a story if you fill in most of the blanks yourself.”
- “Unlike Machinarium, an Amanita Design game that narrates a complete story without a single word, Pan-Pan is a simple pretext scenario with only two events: the spaceship crashes on an unknown planet and you go look for the parts in order to fly away.”
- “There is no deep plot, so you don't really need any exposition.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay is characterized by its basic mechanics, allowing for a relaxed experience, but it suffers from loose controls and a lack of depth, leading to frustrating puzzle-solving moments. Players report a short playtime of around 2-6 hours with minimal replay value, and many feel the price is steep for the content offered, recommending it only during sales. Despite the appealing art style and sound design, the overall gameplay experience is seen as lacking in substance.
- “I love the art style, the sound design is amazing, and the game mechanics have a surprising amount of detail and depth.”
- “The gameplay is very basic, which is nice because you can have tea and biscuits whilst playing as you only need the mouse.”
- “And just when you think 'now I understand the puzzle mechanics!'”
- “The asking price is very steep for the amount of gameplay you get out of it (<2 hours).”
- “On top of all that, loose controls make some of the puzzles that require walking out patterns a nightmare, and there’s a lot of story/gameplay dissonance (I can’t push down the crumbling door by ramming it, but I can… with a stick?).”
- “Unfortunately, there is not much content, perhaps 2-6 hours of gameplay with not much incentive for replay.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charming and tranquil qualities, enhanced by a delightful soundtrack that complements the cute art style. Reviewers appreciate the immersive sound design and graphics, which contribute to an other-worldly experience that captivates players. Overall, the combination of music and visuals creates a captivating and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Lovely music creates a tranquil atmosphere when you're exploring.”
- “The sounds throughout really add to the atmosphere and are entertaining to hear.”
- “For the most part, I enjoyed it greatly; the graphics, atmosphere, and other-worldliness of it all have massive appeal.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game "Pan-pan" is noted for its strong optimization, running smoothly even on older hardware, which appeals to gamers who are cautious about their purchases and performance requirements.
- “Usually I'm a much more conservative gamer when it comes to my purchasing power, and after meticulous research and pricing optimization, I conclude (sometimes months in advance) if the game is worth purchasing at all.”
- “Pan-pan is an adorable game and it runs smoothly on my old laptop.”
- “Usually I'm a very conservative gamer when it comes to my purchasing power, and after meticulous research and pricing optimization, I conclude (sometimes months in advance) if the game is worth purchasing at all.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to evoke a strong sense of wholesomeness and cuteness, contributing to an overall emotional experience that feels rewarding. The satisfaction derived from solving puzzles independently enhances feelings of accomplishment, making the game emotionally engaging.
- “If laboratories could chemically produce the purest form of wholesome and cute, this game wouldn't quite be it, but very, very close.”
- “After looking up the first few puzzles, the rest were fun to solve on my own and made me feel pretty accomplished.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
While the reviews highlight the game's charming art style and adorable character designs, they do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the narrative. Overall, the focus seems to be more on aesthetics rather than character growth or complexity.
- “I love the art in this game, especially the character designs!”
- “Very cute graphics, adorable character design, as well as lovely sound effects and beautiful music.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with players finding it genuinely amusing and entertaining. Overall, the comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Funny!”
- “Funny!”
- “Funny!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics, but players have reported encountering noticeable glitches that affect overall stability. Despite these issues, the experience remains enjoyable.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game lacks replayability, with multiple users noting that there is no incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “There isn’t any replay value.”